Benefits of rotational grazing by Peter Gaul, consultant

 

Alternating grazing with resting actually allows more forage to grow

 

Peter was a New Zealand dairyman who emigrated to Missouri ten years ago and set up what is now a successful combination dairy and beef grass farm under USA conditions (not all Kiwi’s made that transition successfully… ).

He now acts as a consultant and is a frequent presenter at Byron Seed meetings (both to customers and to Byron’s cadre of Dealers).

His thoughts are in the 2020 Beef Forage Guide volume one, which we have available to you if you would like a copy.

His thoughts:

·      Better utilization of the pasture and forage

·      More even soil fertility, especially from strip grazing

·      Increased resistance to drought (keep effective cover on and roots in soil)

·      More economical use of forage  (your animals do all the harvesting)

·      Better control of undesirable plants

·      Ability to spot problems earlier

·      Quieter animals more used to being moved

·      Lower costs and improved margins

·      Ability to allocate forages to animals based on nutrient quality

 

It is proven that if you rotate pastures and do not overgraze, you will grow and harvest 50% more feed than if you just “pasture” everything fenced all season.    Stands will be more persistent, animals harvest more in optimal vegetative stages for better milking and body condition, while calves grow.